News
|Visit London hosts special event near Buckingham Palace
For the first time in 400 years, a game of 'paille maille' has been played in the area that would eventually become the famous Pall Mall in central London.
The special event near Buckingham Palace showed visitors how to play the historic game, which is similar to croquet and was once enjoyed by King Charles II hundreds of years ago.
Its name comes from the Italian word 'pallamaglio', which literally means 'ball-mallet'.
Sally Chaterjee, chief executive of Visit London, said: "One of the things that makes London such a unique city is its rich history and heritage.
"[By] revealing the street stories of London and the re-enactment of paille maille, we want to celebrate the unusual and world-famous heritage of London's streets, bringing them back to life in a really fun and engaging way."
The initiative was arranged as part of the tourism agency's 'Only in London' promotional campaign.
It was revealed earlier this month that the number of London hotel guests and other people visiting the city's attractions increased by almost 20 per cent in April.
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16/06/2009
